General

Turbo

A blown engine is more powerful than the contents of the engine alone. This makes it possible to make engines smaller or the capacity of larger engines even higher. A blown engine is often more efficient than a motor without a turbo or compressor. P>

A turbocharger or turbocharger is an air pump that increases the air pressure in the combustion chamber and is driven by the hot exhaust gases. p>

A turbo consists of a turbine side and a compressor side, where the turbine uses the energy of the exhaust gases in the exhaust manifold to drive the compressor on the intake manifold. With modern engines, almost always two different types of turbos are used: waste-gate controlled turbos or variable geometry turbos.

The pressure in the waste-gate controlled turbo is determined by whether or not the waste gate is partially opened, this ensures that the turbo does not generate too much pressure or overruns. The variable geometry turbo is also known as VNT (Variable Nozzle Turbo) or VGT (Variable Geometry Turbo). There are small blades around the inlet part of the turbo. These are controlled by a vacuum or ECU actuator. These vanes close at low speeds and narrow the so-called cochlea, as a result of which the pressure increases faster, resulting in more torque at low revs. At higher rpm the blades open and we get a larger cochlea, resulting in more torque at a higher speed.

With modern engines, we see more and more that both types of turbos are combined in a Bi-turbo or even Tri-turbo setup. With both diesel and petrol engines, we regularly see faulty turbochargers due to deposits in the turbo. The cause of this is often a problem with the EGR system, diesel injectors or pump injectors. The soot may cause the turbo to jam, block the waste gate or cause the variable geometry mechanism to get stuck. Also bad quality, wrong or old oil can cause the turbo no longer (well) lubricated causing it crashes.

If you have problems with your Turbo or the control of your turbo, KCPerformance is happy to help.

Compressor

A compressor, supercharger or blower is an air pump that increases the air pressure in the combustion chamber by being driven mechanically by a belt, gears or a chain.

In short, we can distinguish between 3 types of compressors:

A roots compressor consists of 2 or 3 lobes, by rotating the lobes it can absorb air and then compress through a rotating movement.

A screw compressor or twin-screw compressor consists of 2 rotors with a screw profile. When these start to rotate, the air between the rotors is compressed.

A centrifugal compressor works the same as a turbo. It receives air in the cochlea and ensures that the air is compressed by means of a compressor wheel.

The advantage of a compressor is that it performs better at low rpm than a turbo since it is directly driven by the crankshaft. The disadvantage is, however, that because of its connection, it also uses the energy of the engine where a turbo uses lost energy.

If you have questions about your compressor or want to have a compressor system installed, we are happy to help you!